5/6 MR G. E. DOBSON ON THE GENUS MYOSOREX. [NoV. lo, 



incisor is much smaller than the anterior maxillary tooth, and the 

 penultimate premolar is minute, quite invisible from without, and 

 placed in the small angle between the adjoining teeth. The most 

 remaikable peculiarity, however, is found in the mandible, where (as 

 first pointed out by me in the Journ. Anat. Phys. xx. p. 359, 1S86) 

 a minute tooth exists on each side between the second and third 

 teeth, so that the number of mandibular teeth is fourteen instead of 

 twelve, as we find in all other known species of Soricidce. 



(For measurements see table p. 578.) 



Hab. South Africa (Namaqua-Laud, Cape Colony, Natal). 



2. Myosorex morio. 



Croeidura morio, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. I80^ 



Smaller than Myosorex varius and about the size of a large spe- 

 cimeu of Croeidura aranea, but distinguished at once, not only 

 from all species of the genus, but also from all known species of 

 Soricidce, by the comparatively enormous size of the lateral gland ^ 

 which, in the male, occupies a circular space having a diameter of 

 9 millimetres, larger than the space occupied by the same gland in 

 the Great Indian Musk-Shrew {Croeidura carulescens), and by the 

 nakedness of the sides and abdomen below and behind these glands. 

 Ears moderate, clothed with very short hairs ; manus and pes 

 covered with short hairs. Fur dark reddish brown above, and 

 slightly paler beneath. 



The first upper incisor is long, the anterior cusp much longer than 

 the posterior, which, however, is well developed ; the third incisor 

 is shorter than the anterior maxillary tooth ; but the greatest pecu- 

 liarity exists in the comparatively large size of the penultimate 

 premolar, which, viewed externally, though not half the size of the 

 anterior maxillary tooth, stands quite in the tooth-row, and its cusp 

 equals or slightly exceeds (in specimens iu which it is not worn) the 

 anterior basal cusp of the last premolar. The last upper molar is 

 like that of Myosorex varius, larger than in the species of the genus 

 Croeidura, its posterior part being as well developed as the corre- 

 sponding tooth in that species. The first mandibular tooth has two 

 very distinct notches as in Myosorex varius ; the second tooth is 

 unicuspidate and has this peculiarity that, instead of being placed 

 almost altogether on the first tooth, its base very slightly overlies it ; 



1 " Uniform rather browuish black, rather paler and browner beneath. Teeth 

 white. Feet very slender, weak. Tail nearly as long as the body and head, 

 very slender, annidated, covered with very short closely adpressed hair. 



" Length of body and head, dry, 2J inches ; tail, dry, 2 inches." — Gray, I. c. 



It may be seen that it would be impossible from this description alone 

 to identify not merely the sjaeeies but even the genus, nevertheless, as the 

 type, a skin, corresponds in all respects to the well-preserved specimen in 

 alcohol from which I have taken my description of this species, I retain Dr. 

 Gray's specific title. 



^ Having shown the glands in this species to Mr. G. A. Boulenger, he re- 

 marked that an integumentary gland occupies a corresponding position on eacli 

 Bide of the body in several species of the genus Paludicola (Batrachia) ; of very 

 large size in some species (P. bufonium, Bell, e. g.), in others of the same genus 

 it is so small as to render it very difficult to say whether a gland exists or not. 



